Hyderabad: A seminar on how to make Hyderabad a “beggar-free-city” has thrown up astounding figures, revealing how people engaged in such activities are earning incomes unimaginable even for the most hardworking professionals.

At the seminar held by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, and attended by the officials of various departments and representatives of several NGOs, it was revealed that more than 25,000 beggars on the city roads were making as much as Rs4.56 billion (Dh246 million) per annum.

Earlier a survey by a local NGO had put the amount at only Rs420 million.

But in survey reports by various organisations, shared at the seminar in the presence of mayor B. Rammohan, activists said there were 25,000 beggars — each of them earning Rs500 per day — taking their total turnover to Rs4.56 billion.

However another report by an NGO put the beggar population at 14,000, and their annual earning at Rs1.53 billion.

Jayaprakash Bharat, who heads one of the NGOs working on tackling begging on city roads, told the seminar that 90 per cent to 95 per cent beggars were fake and many of them were involved in criminal activities.

The majority of these beggars had come from other states, as far as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh and made the city roads their homes, he said.

“Only 5 per cent are genuinely needy people. All the others are fake and doing it for money,” he said.

Expressing concern over the increasing menace of “professional beggars”, mayor B. Rammohan called for a beggar-free Hyderabad.

“We will create a mass awareness among the people urging them not to give alms to such people. We will also take measures to rehabilitate the people who are genuinely in need of help”, he said.

The mayor was concerned the beggars were spoiling the image of Hyderabad and many of them were also involved in criminal cases.

The activists said that, even when rehabilitation and shelter was offered, the majority of the beggars were unwilling to accept it because no other work could offer them as much money as they were earning as beggars.

“Their income here is very high”, said Jayaprakash.

Another activist, Madhavi, told the seminar there was a need for taking care of the destitutes, children and disabled people while taking action against the professional beggars.

The earnings of the minor beggars was more than adults, it was noted.

Another activist, Khalid Mohammad, said that during Ramadan, when Muslims pay Zakat and give more charity, the number of beggars increases further and there was a need for exercising caution while giving alms.